Chapter five
Harry bounded up the stairs behind Draco and caught the attention of every Slytherin in the common room. "That is one gorgeous animal!" Blaise exclaimed and soon Harry was mobbed by the excited Slytherin's that wanted to touch his silky fur.
Harry felt very uncomfortable in the crowd and tried many times to escape only succeeding when Draco's strict voice stated that they were going to be late.
When Harry entered the great hall he was still a panther and the Slytherin's were still trying to pet him. He escaped by ducking under the table and sitting at Draco's feet, resting his chin on the Slytherin's skinny knee's. Draco glanced down at his mate and then his eyes swept over the hall, he noticed the stares and whispers and looked back down at Harry. "Try to ignore them love" Draco murmured as he lovingly scratched behind a velvet ear.
"Why do you have a Panther under the table Mr. Malfoy?" Draco turned his head slightly to look at a very confused Slughorn. The ditsy man had also been appointed the new head of Slytherin. Draco glared up at the man who had replaced his godfather, he had never liked him, he lifted his chin in a defying manner and sneered "I don't see how that is any business of yours, Professor."
Slughorn smiled knowingly and rested his hand on Draco's shoulder who refrained from shrugging it off only because Harry gave a quiet warning growl. "Now Mr. Malfoy, I know you do not like me and I have no clue as to what I may have done for you to dislike me but I am afraid that a panther is not on the list of acceptable familiars."
Draco was about to deliver a malevolent reply that would surely have had Salazar Slytherin himself turning in his grave but fortunately for Slughorn, McGonagall stepped in with a stern look at the young Malfoy. "Thank you Horace you may go back to your breakfast now." She said as she forcefully turned the round man back towards the head table "Of course Minerva" he said jovially as he patted his protruding belly with a dreamy smile on his face.
Harry huffed a breath of relief and a deep rumble started in his chest when Draco began absently stroking behind his ears. McGonagall turned back to Draco with a frown on her face but her eyes were amused "I assume that this is Potter?" she asked quietly as to not draw any unwanted attention; Draco nodded and smiled down at the green-eyed panther. "Well I shall allow it this once but he must be 'himself' for his classes" she stressed the word 'himself' with a stern glare and then turned back to head back to her seat but paused and faced the two boys again, well boy and panther, and with a grim expression she looked at harry underneath the table "and I'm sorry Potter but you have detention at lunch with Professor Slughorn."
"What for?" Draco asked, fuming; he didn't see what Harry had done to deserve detention. "For causing a disruption during lunch Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley has had another week of detentions added to his already existing list. I'm afraid I can't give any favouritism." And then she left for good, to eat the rest of her breakfast no doubt.
Draco sighed and stabbed at his bacon angrily. Harry whined at him under the table and Draco smiled down at him sadly "I'm sorry love" Harry shook his head and gently took the piece of bacon the Slytherin offered him. They were both quiet as they ate the rest of their breakfast and when they had finished they headed into an empty classroom so that Harry could revert back from his Animagus before class. Draco watched the unusual transformation with great interest and then smiled at his mate when he stood in front of him. "You ready?" he asked as he tried to flatten some of the Gryffindor's uncooperative hair "not really" Harry said sullenly, pouting slightly. Draco thought it made him look very sexy and let his mate know by pulling him into his chest and kissed him soundly. He ravished the dark haired boys willing mouth with keen determination and then he pulled away despite Harry's quiet moan of protest and ran his hand through his silver locks.
"Let's get to class, don't want to be late!" he said cheekily and smirked at the crest fallen look on his mates face "don't worry love," he started as he stroked the boys cheek lovingly with the back of his hand "that was just a taster; I plan to continue tonight after supper."
Harry literally dragged Draco from the classroom then, eager to get the days classes over with, but he collided with something solid after opening the door and Draco growled when he saw what it was that his mate had crashed into; Weasley's chest. The red head still hand some bruises and cuts from their earlier scrap and he seemed to favour his right arm.
Weasley sneered down at Harry, a thought about Harry's height passed through Draco's head but he pushed it aside and placed his hands on Harry's shoulders in a silent plea for Harry to stay calm.
"Fucking disgusting" the red-head snarled and Draco glared, he felt Harry's shoulders shaking under his hands and he squeezed reassuringly. "What do you want, Ron?" Harry asked tensely, he noticed that Dean and Seamus were backing up his former friend and his mood plummeted again.
Ron chuckled and folded his arms across his chest "oh, nothing really, just payback for what you did to me" Draco thought he saw a faint blush on the red-heads cheeks but couldn't be sure because of the amount of freckles that littered his skin.
"Revenge?" Harry asked flatly "you're turning out to be more of a death-eater than Draco was supposed to be" he stressed the word 'supposed' like he knew it wasn't really true and it made Draco want to grin like a goof. But he made sure to keep his features schooled into the signature Malfoy scowl.
Ron growled before he launched a punch at Harry, his fist connecting with Harry's stomach. Harry let out a pained 'oof' and fought to bring the air back into his lungs whilst Ron laughed with his Gryffindor goons.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Draco snarled as he shielded the gasping Harry behind him. "Get out of the way you slimy snake, this is between me and him!" Ron tried to push past Draco but stopped short when he found a wand pointed at his throat. "I don't think so Weasel" Draco said calmly, glaring fiercely at the red-head. "What are you going to do?" Ron taunted but Draco cold see a flicker of fear in his blue eyes.
Draco's silver eyes stared into the Gryffindor's trying to convey with a look alone the torture he had in store for him if he didn't back off.
Ron took an uncertain step back and then scoffed before turning on his heel and fleeing down the empty corridor his Gryffindor goons following after one last pathetic glare at Draco.
"Draco?" a tentative voice asked from behind him and Draco turned to smile at Harry "are you ok?" Harry asked and Draco grinned. "Am I ok? What about you?" Harry shrugged and scuffed his worn-out trainer on the stone floor ""I'm alright."
Draco held Harry's face in his hands tenderly and looked him directly in the eyes "are you sure?" he asked gently and Harry nodded "we're going to be late for class" Harry mumbled, a pink blush spreading across his cheeks. "Let's go then" Draco said before quickly kissing Harry's nose and then grasped his mates hand and pulled him from the room completely.
They were a few minutes late for transfiguration and McGonagall gave them a stern look as they took their seats "and why, must I ask, are you late?" she asked and Harry ducked his head. He really didn't like the disappointed look McGonagall was giving him "we're sorry Professor," Draco said, glancing over to the Gryffindor's, Ron Weasley in particular, and then turned to Professor McGonagall "but we ran into a little problem on the way."
McGonagall saw his pointed look and frowned at her Gryffindor's. "I understand," and she began the class.
"Today we will be learning the Draconifors spell, for those of you who don't know; the Draconifors turns statues of dragons into real, fire-breathing dragons." A murmur of excitement spread through the class. "I a moment I will place a small dragon statue on your desk, the first one to succeed in turning it will get to leave class early" Harry glanced at Draco and smiled, he had been able to practice the spell in his free time and was confident he could do it. Draco gave Harry the same smile although his was more of a sly Slytherin smirk.
"You will be working in pairs so take it in turns and please be sensible I do not want my classroom catching fire, the hand-movement is quite simple you simple slash your wand at the statue, like so" she demonstrated the gesture and like she said it was very simple. There were a few chuckles and when McGonagall waved her wand tiny little statues of dragon appeared on each desk. The dragons were so small that Harry could clench his fist around it.
"You go first" Draco said to Harry and then he lent back to watch the rest of the class. Harry slashed his wand at the statue, his wand gave out a little spark of red light but nothing happened he frowned and tried again. The spark was bigger but still had no effect on the statue. He tried to remember what it had said in the book he had read but could not.
He huffed and nudged Draco gently "your turn" he said sullenly and Draco smiled reassuringly at him. Harry was sure that this would have been such an easy spell to master. He had read so many transfiguration books during his spare time in the Slytherin common room. "This is bloody difficult" he heard Draco huff and his mood lifted knowing that he wasn't the only one having problems.
"Gah! You try again" Draco huffed as he sat back in his chair. Harry focused all of his attention on the dragon; he felt for his magic core and trembled pleasantly when it travelled down to his wand hand. He made the slashing motion at the statue and watched, wide eyed, as a ball of fire enveloped it.
The fire disappeared to reveal a small welsh green dragon, immediately the little dragon shot fire into the air and let out a little squeaky roar that made Harry smile. "Well done Mr. Potter!" McGonagall cheered when she noticed the little puff of smoke. "Ten points to er... Gryffindor" she said after a moment of confusion, Harry was sitting on the Slytherin side of the room. As far away from the Gryffindor's as he possibly could get.
"Well i hope you use your free time wisely" she gave him a slight smile and then shooed him away "you have another ten minutes and whoever hasn't mastered this very simple spell will stay behind for private tutoring!" she looked at Ron and gave a very Slytherin smirk. No one picked on her Gryffindor's, even if the bully was a Gryffindor themselves.
Harry wandered about the corridors aimlessly until he decided to head to the library. He read some books about werewolves, discovering some interesting facts, until lunch.
He met Draco outside the Great hall. He was grinning like a loon and it made Harry fell uneasy "what have you done?" he asked before they entered the great hall "me?" Draco asked innocently "i haven't done anything" he had a sly smirk on his face and Harry frowned "then why are you smiling?" He got no answer and as they entered the great hall everyone was giggling and pointing over to the Gryffindor table.
Harry had to cover his mouth when he saw what everyone else was looking at, he leant on Draco's shoulder and his shoulders shook as he laughed. He sat in his seat at the Slytherin table and looked at Ron again; he was sitting sullenly, glowering at the Slytherin table, wearing an outfit that looked suspiciously like what the toad Dolores Umbridge wore when she 'taught' at Hogwarts. He had a pink headband on his head, a fluffy pink cardigan over a matching dress and even had on some pink heels.
"I thought you said you didn't do anything?" Harry said breathlessly, still leaning heavily on, a chuckling, Draco's shoulder. "I didn't, this was all Blaise."
"It's spelled to stay like that until I decide he's suffered enough" Blaise cut in as he calmly cut into his omelette. "And don't even think that begging while make me change my mind" Harry filled a goblet with pumpkin juice and took a small sip "the thought hadn't even crossed my mind" he murmured over the lip of the cup, a contented smile on his face."Thank you" he said quietly and received a squeeze of his shoulder.
"Mr. Potter?" Harry turned to smile at the Headmistress "I hope you haven't forgotten about your detention?" He jumped up , almost tripping over the bench in his haste "no Professor i was just going now" he snatched a roll from the table and took ran out of the hall, leaving a chuckling McGonagall behind.